As back-to-school prices rise, donations fill the gap for North Carolina teachers, families

“This year’s state budget had a lot of good news for education, but to truly support our public schools and our students’ futures, we need to better support teachers who pay for school supplies out of their own pockets,” Stein said in a statement.

The state budget Stein signed in July provides the largest average teacher pay raise in 20 years, the governor said. It also provided a 3% raise and a bonus of at least $1,000 for all other school staff and non-certified employees.

But that modest boost in pay diminishes quickly when teachers dip into their own pocket to pay for school supplies. A 2025 study by CouponBirds revealed teachers in the Tar Heel state shell out more than $1,600 annually to outfit their classrooms, the second highest average in the country. Only Pennsylvania teachers spent more out of pocket than North Carolina teachers.

In the state’s largest public school district, Wake County teachers are invited to fulfill their back-to-school wish list at the Tools4Schools store near downtown Raleigh.

The idea of a free supply store just for public school teachers was created four years ago by the nonprofit WakeEd Partnership. Since then, about 6,000 of the county’s 10,000 public school teachers have taken advantage of the assistance.

WakeEd CEO Keith Poston said the goal is to remove some of the financial pressure that educators feel at one of the most important times of the school year.

“Regardless of political perspective, folks understand intuitively that a teacher trying to teach children should not also have to worry about bringing in classroom supplies. We’re talking about the things they need to do their job,” said Poston in an interview with NC Newsline.

Poston said the “good-heartedness” of teachers prompts them to use their own money to make sure all the children in their classroom start the year on a level playing field.

GOP leaders say the NC budget offers ‘historic’ raises. A top education panel says it’s not enough.

A survey by the nonprofit found in 2025, Wake County teachers were spending on average $1,200 on back-to-school supplies. With inflation, many teachers are able to afford less than they did just a year ago.

“We’re gonna try to take that burden off as much as we can. It’s not a substitute for adequate funding, but I like to think we’ve made a difference,” said Poston.

On Wednesday, the storefront, designed to look like a small Staples, opened its doors to Wake County teachers, who scanned the well-stocked shelves for items their students might need.

Highlighters, pencils, glue sticks, backpacks, and hand sanitizer are among the most sought-after items. Laptops and Chromebooks are provided by the school district, but Poston says teachers need a lot of basic supplies for their students to start out the school year.

“I remind folks, this is a classroom supply store for teachers, but these are going to students,” said Poston. “Something that we are keenly aware of here is that not every family can afford to go out and make sure that their child has a new backpack full of all the things they are supposed to have or need to have when they walk in the door.”

A recent analysis from the Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation, two progressive think tanks, finds a typical basket of school supplies will cost families 7.7% more this year, outpacing inflation.

According to new data released by Intuit Credit Karma, more than half of parents with kids under 18 are entering back-to-school shopping season with credit card debt. Nearly two-thirds of those parents (63%) expect that they will add to their existing balance to cover this year’s school purchases.

Corporate sponsors and community groups can help make sure students have what they need to start the school year, but individuals can also play a role. Poston said an Amazon wishlist makes it easy to see which items are the highest priority, and people can then donate at any level that fits their budget.